DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 6| 2020

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1. LOVE IS CHEESY  

Many pizzerias are showcasing special heart-shaped pizzas this Valentine’s Day. In the U.S., Papa John’s are celebrating the holiday with the return of their heart-shaped thin-crust pizza with toppings of choice. Digitally savvy Snapchat users can order their pizza through a new AR lens making the process more enticing for the younger consumer. Customers can also indulge in a special double chocolate chip brownie to end their meal on a sweeter note. Apache’s medium pizza is layered with pepperoni and allows customers to include a personalised message on the box. For those opting to stay, Papa Murphy’s Heartbaker pizza is available from the Take N’ Bake range. Another choice for Hut Lovers is the return of Pizza Hut’s heart-shaped pie with an additional dessert deal.   

2. FEEL THE LOVE 

Restaurants and foodservice operators are feeling the love this Valentine's Day, enticing customers through their doors with romantic offerings. Research shows approximately 34.6% of people typically dine out for the occasion, with an average spend of $116 per couple. This year, Las Iguana’s eateries have introduced a “you had me at nacho” promotion, serving nachos topped with a choice of shredded chipotle beef or chicken, chilli con carne or smoked pulled jackfruit. Prezzo are offering 24 pizza bites and a bottle of prosecco for celebrating in style with your loved one. 

3. KFC’S CHICKEN SCENTED CARDS 

KFC UK has partnered with British personalised gift brand, Moonpig, to launch a range of cards for Valentine’s Day. Featuring quirky messages such as, ‘We go together like chicken and gravy' and 'Fancy a peck?', these are sure to appeal to the less conventional Valentine. The range of 8 customisable cards cost £3.49 and even includes a “scratch-n-sniff” card which smells of KFC’s famous Original Recipe Chicken. 10% of all card sales will be donated to The KFC Foundation which provides support to its US employees for education, hardship assistance and personal finance programs. KFC recently revealed its 2019 global performance, recording double-digit (13%) year on year sales growth in the UK during 2019. 

4.  ALL NEW CHICKEN BASE 

Pieology has developed a protein-heavy pizza crust made with chicken. Comprising of a carefully crafted blend of white meat chicken, eggs and cheese, this limited time offer provides a gluten-free 7-inch crust option with a whopping 44 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs and only 280 calories. This will be available throughout all US Pieology locations and to kick off the new menu item, they are offering a free protein style chicken base upgrade for any Pie Life Rewards members. 

5. FLAVOUR CRAZE 

Three quarters of consumers love to discover new flavours finds Innova Market Insights. On average, flavour is the single most important factor in consumer food and drink choices. While millennials are the most adventurous in their attitude towards flavours, Gen Z feel that the ‘crazier’ the flavour, the better. Among the top trends in novel flavour formulation, there is an emphasis on more detailed flavour descriptors, provenance and storytelling. Other top trends in new flavours include ‘Plant Based Revolution’ and bitter ingredients such as matcha, seaweed and bitter greens such as spinach, kale and brussel sprouts. Hybrids are also one of the latest trends which see a myriad of flavours in one category crossing over into others.

6. PLANT BASED CONNOTATIONS 

To date, the plant-based diet has represented several different meanings. In the early 20th century, vegetarianism was promoted to quash immoral desires, enhancing purity and healthfulness. Then, as the World Wars put the food system under pressure, civilians avoided meat as a patriotic obligation. In the 70s, vegetarianism grew from a surge in environmental and health concerns. Today, plants are taking on a new kind of symbolism through being intentional with food choices as it affects physical and mental health as well as sustainability.  

7. POPEYES MAKE HISTORY  

We knew that Popeyes’ fried chicken sandwich was a roaring success and quickly sold out in the height of the chicken sandwich wars, however, the results of just how successful to Popeyes' bottom line was revealed earlier this week. Restaurant Brands International reported that the launch of the fried chicken sandwich resulted in a 34% increase in the last quarter of 2019 in same store sales. The closest success story of a quarterly same-store performance saw a 19.8% increase at Chipotle in the third quarter of 2014.  

8. GUAC MODE 

As a way of giving back to their loyal customers, Chipotle is launching Guac Mode after a notably successful year of their Chipotle Rewards programme. Customers have the opportunity to register for Guac Mode by February 20th allowing members free guacamole throughout February with some surprising extras throughout the remainder of the year. The current rewards programme has accumulated almost nine million members since its launch last March and the company is celebrating through the activation of Guac Mode. 

9. FOODSERVICE IN FRANCE 

NPD Group’s annual barometer on the out-of-home market revealed a successful year in 2019 for France. Delivery is a primary driving factor which gained 8.1% of visits during the past year. The country had approximately 3.6 billion out-of-home visits and almost €19 billion in business volume. Fast food in France is a rapidly growing industry reportedly due to the improving economic conditions and a series of good weather.  

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